Michigan Wolverines Basketball: Illinois/Harbaugh — Preview

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Posted at 12:00pm — 12/30/2014

Michigan Wolverines Basketball: Illinois/Harbaugh — Preview

The Coach Introduction Will Include A Basketball Game

Illinois comes to town to start the Big Ten season. Things change quickly, and the recent darling of Michigan sports, the men’s basketball team, has hit some tough times, and the tough time kids, the football team, are receiving in theory a booster shot.

Illinois (10-3) at Michigan (7-5)
Tuesday 12/30/2014 — 3:00pm Eastern Time
Crisler Center — Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: ESPN2
This is the 164th meeting in the all-time series as Michigan trails 78-85 all-time, but the Wolverines have won the last seven games.

New Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh will be introduced to the fans at halftime of the basketball game. The student section known as the “Maize Rage” has embraced Jim Harbaugh already by asking people to wear khakis to the game and calling it “Khaki out”.

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Coach John Beilein will be patient, the team will dwell on getting better, but the journey is going to be rough. The weaknesses are clear, the question remains to what degree they can be remedied?

John Groce, who led Ohio University to an NCAA tournament win over Michigan a few years back, coaches Illinois. John is intense and defense oriented. He coaches serious ball and his star is still rising.

Michigan will have their hands full tomorrow and the external goings-on may or may not help the Wolverine hoopsters.

Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines /

Michigan Wolverines

What will help is better play in many areas. Michigan has a mystery at the four spot and cement feet at the five spot. The hands on the big men continue to be weak and positioning inside is minimal. The usual rebounding and defensive downsides are still present. The main difference is the guys are just not executing the offense, always the savior of the program. There is no real go to guy, as much as Caris LeVert has tried to lead. When the team runs to keep from running a set offense, the shots are hurried and off balance. The same results from running standard options.

Illinois is 10-3 having lost to Villanova, Oregon, and Miami (the U). The Illini crushed Coppin State. The big wins are Baylor and heated rival Missouri.

The Illini are better offensively than in the past. Groce’s teams usually show balance and this year he has seven players scoring 6 points or more per game, led by senior big guard Rayvonte Rice at near 18 per game. Illinois is typical in field goal percentage 45% and 38 % from behind the arc. Michigan’s stats are for a change not impressive.

Illinois is not a great rebounding team but adequate to hurt a team that does not hustle to a spot or box out. Illinois is intense on defense and has a large advantage in turnover margin.

This is a solid team, not great in height or other traits, but above average in every facet. Michigan will have a tough go tomorrow, unless the same guys that beat Syracuse and Oregon show up.

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Written by GBMWolverine Writer — Doc4Blu

Go Blue — Wear Maize!